Clasp.



H. R. MATTHEI.

CLASP..

APPLICATION lLED APR. 10. 1915.

Patented June 5,1917.

NTE STAG EARN CFCE..

HENRY R. MATTHEI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE PIAll/IONDON, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; ALFRED D. PLAVIONDON` DON, DECEASED.

EXECUVTOR OF SAID GEORGE PLAIVION- CLASP.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed April 10, 1915.A Serial No. 20,537. i

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HENRY R. MATTHEI, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare that thev following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in clasps, more particularly adapted for use with garters, Suspenders and the like, and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The clasp is of the type described in an application heretofore filed by Clarence E Mehlhope, on the 29th day of November, 1912, Serial No. 733,982, and includes a back member provided with a lip or shoulder at its lower endand a toggle jointed latch member hinged to the back member and adapted for engagement with a shoulderor lip carried by said back member.

In fthe drawings:

Figure 1 is a view representing a front elevation of the improved clasp as it appears when attached to the elastic Agarter and engaged with the top of the stocking.

Fig. 2 is a view representing on a slightly enlarged scale a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the parts; of the clasp in the position as they appear when the clasp is open.

Fig. 4L is a view representing a vertical cent-ral, section through the clasp when in.l closed position.

Fig. 5 is a view representing a similar see,I

tion when the clasp is open. l

Fig. 6 isa detailed perspective view of the back member of the clasp.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of said clasp with the cloth backing thereon'. broken away. j 'EMF j Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of the upper arm of the toggle latch member.y

Figs. 9 and 10 are views representing transverse sections through the clasp in planes indicated respectively by the lines 9 9 and io-1o of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a view representing a vertical section through the shoulder on the back member of the clasp showing a slight modification in the manner of attachment of the cloth backing for back member.

l Referring now to that lemboditment of the invention shown in the drawings, 12 indicatesv the back member of the clasp and 13 the toggle jointed latch member of the clasp, which is hinged to said back member and which comprises an upper arm 14C and a lower arm 15. The two arms 11i-l5 of the toggle are hinged .together at 16 and the upper arm 14 is hinged to the back mene ber at`17.

18 indicates a loop by means of which the clasp as a whole is attached to theelastic or other fabric 19 of the garter, supporter, or other device withrwhich the clasp is used. The loop 18 comprises an upper transverse member 2O which is directly connected to said elastic or fabric of the garter or the like, lateral members 2-1-21 and l short pintle members 22-22 which provide part of the means for hinging the toggle jointed latch member to the back member of the clasp. The side members 21-21 of the loop have parallel laterally' spaced parts 23 which extend at right angles to the pintle members 22, that is to say, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal. axis of the clasp.

The back member 12 and the upper arm 14 of the toggle jointed latch member are provided with corresponding spaced sleeve parts 2li-24 and 25-25 which are preferably formed from extensions of the side members themselves, which extensions are bent upon themselves into sleeve form. Said sleeve parts are adapted when the clasp is assembled to receive the pintle members 22 of the loop and thus, together with said pintle members constitute the hinge connection between the two clasp members. The two' sleeve parts 25-25 of the upper arm of the toggle 'latch member are provided with shoulders 25a-25a which are adapted to be vengaged by the parts 23-.23 'of the loop 21. The parts are so proportioned and constructed relatively to each other that the loop 23 may be swung loosely on the pintle parts 22-22 when the clasp is in closed relation without the side members 23-23 engaging the shoulders 25. But a full swing of the said loop is arranged to gagement with the shoulders 25-25 of the upper arm 14 of the toggle latch member, in such manner as to operate on said arm as a lever of the second class to force the said shoulders rearwardly and thus push the arm 14 itself forwardly away from the back member so as to open the clasp. The swinging of the loop 18 thus, in fact, produces the same result asthe swinging of a like loop in the hereinbefcre referred to Mehlhope application with the difference that whereas the lever in the former case is a lever of the first class, the lever in this case is a lever of the second class.

The parallel side members 239-23 are rig-A idly held together by means of a transverse plate or bar 26 which is located above and spaced from the. pintle members 22 and a sufficient distance therefrom so that it will not interfere with the proper operation of the front and back clasp members.

27 indicates the shoulder at the bottom of the claspV member which is engaged by the lower end of the toggle latch member of the clasp. This shoulder is preferably formed by bending the strip of metal which forms the back member forwardly and back upon itself to form an inwardly turned hook 23. 29 indicates a strip of fabric such as tape or the like which is provided at the back of the back clasp member to prevent the metal -part from touching the skin of the wearer. Said tape has one end brought forward and preferably doubled over as indicated at 30 which is engaged under the hook 28. This hook is then, comi'pressed upon the tape so as to hold it rigidly. The

tape itself thus .provides a cushion for the shoulder with which the bottom end of the toggle clasp member engages in such manner as to hold the stocking or other'garment with which the clasp is used between the shoulder and the'back memberras indicated at 31 in Figs. 2 and 4.

The tape 29 is carried up behind the back clasp member and has its top end securely engaged by the plate 26 which holds the side members of the loop together. plate is preferably made U-shaped in cross section and the upper end of the tape, which is preferably folded upon itself, is clamped between the side members 26a- 26a of the U, One lug of the U has integral extensions 26b-26b which are directly engaged with and hooked about the side members 23.

The Vupper arm 14 of the toggle jointed latch member is provided intermediate'the sleeve part 25-25 with a lug 33 which is located between the sleeve parts 24T-24 of the back latch member. The said lug-fis provided with an apertureJV 34-in line with the apertures in the ears 25 into which theA'i-nner Vends of the pintle members Y22V ofthe loop project. The lug 33 is provided: with two flat faces V35--36' arranged at an anglejwith part of its Said each other and preferably at substantially right angles to each other. The back member 12 is split from the top throughout a length to provide an integral flat spring 37 which engages the lug-33. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that when the clasp members are in assembled relation, the flat surface 35 of the lug 33 will be engagedV against the spring when the clasp is in closed position, while the fiat surface 36 will be'engavged with said spring when the clasp is in opened position. As a result of this construction, the latch membersV will normally tend when dislodged from one position to assume the other position, and will resist leaving either member for the other. Y

The operation of the clasp is manifest from the foregoingdescription. As pointed out a slight play of the loop either in forward or back direction is inoperative to effect an opening ofthe clasp. Thus the normal movement of the parts of the body with which the clasp is Vassociated will have no effect to open the clasp. A positive movement, however, in a rearward direction relative to the clasp member of the loop will bringV the side members 23 into engagement with the shoulder 25a on the top arm 14 of the toggle latch member and swing said arm away from the back Vmember notwithstanding the resistance offered by means of the engagement of the flat surface 35 of the lug 33 with the fiat spring 37. After it has been swung far enough to carry the joint 16 of the toggle beyond the neutral line, the other iat surface 36 coperating with the spring 37, will automatically swing the members of the clasp into an open position as indicated in Fig. 3, and said parts willbe evenly held in this position although the loop may be swung forward into its normal position substantially in the plane of the back member. As will be easily apparent the clasp may therefore be either opened or closed with the use of the thumb and finger of one hand.

Instead of attaching the tape in the manner already described, a thread or short piece of string 4:0 (see Fig. 11) may be used in the loops end, that is to say, in the folded over end of the tape to fully fill the space between the hook 28 andthe part 27 upon which it is bent. This construction will insure the rigid engagement of the tape with the hook and prevent its draw.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a'clasp the combination of a back. member provided with a shoulder, a toggle Y jointed latch member adapted for operative engagement with said shoulder and comprising upper and lower arms, a loop having laterally spaced side members and inwardly turned-pintle members upon which the-members of said clasp are hinged,the back clasp member and the upper arm ofthe toggle member being provided with complementary sleeves for engagement with said pintle members and said upper toggle arm being provided with shoulders located back of the side members of said loop which are adapted to be engaged by the laterally spaced side members of the loop to open the clasp.

2. In a clasp the combination of a back member provided with a shoulder, a toggle jointed latch member adapted for operative engagement with said shoulder and comprising upper and lower arms, a loop having side members and pintle members, said back clasp member and the upper arm of said toggle jointed member being provided with integral extensions bent to form complementary sleeves to receive the pintle member ot said loop, the sleeve member of the upper arm of said toggle jointed latch mern ber being provided back of the side member of said loop with laterally extending shoulders adapted for engagement with said side members, said loop having a limited inoperative movement but being adapted to be swung to bring said side members into engagement with said sleeve shoulder to open said clasp.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 3. In a clasp the combination of a back member provided with a shoulder', a toggle jointed latch member adapted for operative engagement with said shoulder and comprising upper and lower arms, a loop on which said latch members are hinged, said loop providing side members and pintle members, a flexible backing member at the rear of the back member of said clasp, a plate connecting said side members of the loop and clamped upon the upper end of said flexible backing member and the lower end of said Hexible backing member being brought forward and tucked under a hook forming the shoulder of said back member, said hook constituting an .integral extension for the back member bent forward and back upon itself and being then clamped upon the end of the iiexible backing member.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I aiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this 21st day of December A. D. 1914.

HENRY R. MATTHEI.

Witnesses:

T. H. ALFREDS, KARL W. DOLL.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

